NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 4: The Kashmir peace process inched forward today with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee describing Islamabad's offer of restraint along the Line of Control as a ``positive'' development. Speaking to correspondents at the Navy Day celebrations this evening, he added that the ceasefire in the Valley could be extended beyond the month of Ramzan ``if Pakistan cooperates''.However, the PM tinged his statement with caution saying that Pakistan's response was not ``substantive'' and reiterated India's known stand that Islamabad must cease cross-border terrorism for real movement on the Kashmir issue.Hurriyat leaders, too, opened the door for negotiations a little wider today. Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat told The Indian Express that the Hurriyat had no problems talking to either India or Pakistan first.In fact, according to him, Pakistan has made it clear that the Hurriyat can begin discussions with India. ``Now it's up to India to chalk out the course of the dialogue,'' he said.At the same time, another Hurriyat leader, Mirwaiz Maulvi Omer Farooq, stepped up the pressure on India to allow their representatives to travel to Islamabad as go-betweens with the Pakistani leadership and the Mujahideen. This is a demand which the Indian Government cannot accept officially even though it may be willing to look the other way if some Hurriyat leaders do undertake a journey to Islamabad.Much depends on how the ceasefire plays out in the Valley over the next few days and what the Pakistani offer of restraint amounts to in real terms. In this context, Vajpayee's studied response of optimism mixed with prudence gives the Government valuable time to assess the ground situation while keeping up the pressure on Pakistan to cut back on militancy levels in the Valley.The Government will have to react to Pakistan's offer soon if it doesn't want to disrupt the progress made so far. To that extent, the abrupt adjournment of Parliament today gives the Government a breather as External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh was unable to make his scheduled statement on Kashmir today. Both Houses are likely to be adjourned tomorrow as well.Although it would seem that the statements, whether from India, the Hurriyat or Pakistan, are largely reiteration of known positions, they contain enough hints of a subtle shift from the hardline stance which disrupted the peace initiative in July.Negotiations are at a delicate stage at this point and till something tangible emerges, all three parties will have to keep up their rhetoric.Hurriyat sources said the leaders are meeting Pakistan High Commissioner Qazi Ashraf Jehangir here tomorrow. The High Commissioner had just returned from Islamabad and is expected to discuss the Pakistan Government's response to the Hurriyat's last brief to Qazi on the Kashmir situation.Hurriyat leaders are believed to have told the High Commissioner that Kashmiris were tired of violence and were keen to find a political solution to the problem.Significantly, the Mirwaiz said, ``Things are moving very speedily on Kashmir.''Urging India to allow Hurriyat leaders to travel to Pakistan for negotiations, he said, ``We can have some communication with the Mujahideen and ask them to play a positive role in the peace-process, which has been set in by India's offer of ceasefire.'' He claimed even the hardcore groups controlled by foreign mercenaries could be reined in.
